Well, we had us a warm spell last week. I was surprised, because after the mid-winter solace the days are supposed to get longer. And, everybody knows that, when "the days begin to lengthen, and cold begins to strengthen." But, it didn't work that way last week.
So, as some snow began to melt, we could see the snow snakes sneaking around the neighborhood. Being white n all, they're hard to see in the snow. But their skin can't turn to a camouflaging white & brown blotch all that quick, so we could see'em pretty good.
They don't usually bother folks, less'n they get hungry. Then, you have to keep cats and small dogs inside. In summer, I think they turn blue and are blue racers - the kind that chase you if you run or flee if chased. I don't know what they eat when it's cold and deep snow is around, maybe mice that run around under the snow in little tunnels? Or, squirrels maybe?
If ya step on one, they will bite, now n then. Whiskey is a good anteedoat. We have to keep in practice for taking the anteedoat, so every night or two a few of us gather for our survival training. Last week, Fred got such a headache from survival training he swore he'd rather just up n die from a bite. OOOOoooo that gives me the shivers just thinking about dying for a snow snake bite.
They range from upper Michigan clear down to near Kentucky. Last year, I talked with some that had been crawlin around in Kentucky. They allowed as how they'd rather die up north than live down south. (Lot of that going around, ya know.) Got tobacco juice spit on'em down there, and that was at a quiltin bee where only women were at.
I trained one, once. Named it Snakus Frosticus. The snake would come, sit, and stay just like a dog, only lower to the ground. I could throw a dead rat out and that snake'd fetch it. It could bring in a dead chicken too, but not so far cuz they're heavier than a rat. Snakus ran - or crawled - away from home last August. I miss him, or her.
So, as some snow began to melt, we could see the snow snakes sneaking around the neighborhood. Being white n all, they're hard to see in the snow. But their skin can't turn to a camouflaging white & brown blotch all that quick, so we could see'em pretty good.
They don't usually bother folks, less'n they get hungry. Then, you have to keep cats and small dogs inside. In summer, I think they turn blue and are blue racers - the kind that chase you if you run or flee if chased. I don't know what they eat when it's cold and deep snow is around, maybe mice that run around under the snow in little tunnels? Or, squirrels maybe?
If ya step on one, they will bite, now n then. Whiskey is a good anteedoat. We have to keep in practice for taking the anteedoat, so every night or two a few of us gather for our survival training. Last week, Fred got such a headache from survival training he swore he'd rather just up n die from a bite. OOOOoooo that gives me the shivers just thinking about dying for a snow snake bite.
They range from upper Michigan clear down to near Kentucky. Last year, I talked with some that had been crawlin around in Kentucky. They allowed as how they'd rather die up north than live down south. (Lot of that going around, ya know.) Got tobacco juice spit on'em down there, and that was at a quiltin bee where only women were at.
I trained one, once. Named it Snakus Frosticus. The snake would come, sit, and stay just like a dog, only lower to the ground. I could throw a dead rat out and that snake'd fetch it. It could bring in a dead chicken too, but not so far cuz they're heavier than a rat. Snakus ran - or crawled - away from home last August. I miss him, or her.